WCRP high attendance indicates respect for Belarus


A great number of countries that are attending the 15th World Congress of the Russian Press (WCRP) is an indication of respect for Belarus, President of the World Association of the Russian Press Vitaly Ignatenko told the media on 19 June, BelTA has learnt.

The World Congress of the Russian Press is a traditional annual meeting of the heads of the Russian-language media which discusses pressing issues of the development of the world’s Russian-language information space and the preservation of the Russian language which is fourth most-spoken language in the world. In 2013 the host of the congress is Belarus. Attending the event is more than 200 representatives from 60 countries. They are editors-in-chief, publishers and leading Russian journalists from abroad. “This is an indication of high respect for Belarus and the recognition of the role which the Russian language plays in your country,” Vitaly Ignatenko said.

Vitaly Ignatenko also underlined that the forum is one of the most important forms of supporting the Russian language abroad. The Congress will review the year’s performance of the World Association of the Russian Press.

The opening ceremony of the World Congress of the Russian Press is due in the National Library on 20 June. This day will also see some plenary sessions. The themes of the sections will run the gamut from the problems and prospects of the development of the Russian language and press abroad to the place and role of foreign Russian press in the intercultural dialogue in the modern world. The meeting participants will also discuss the influence of the new mass media on traditional Russian media abroad.

On 21 June the experts are set to visit Nesvizh, which will be followed by a visit to the Brest Hero Fortress Memorial. The experts will partake in a memorial ceremony to mark the beginning of the Great Patriotic War on the night of 22 June.

The World Congress of the Russian Press is organized by the World Association of the Russian Press, the BelTA News Agency with the assistance of the ITAR-TASS News Agency, the Information Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and other government agencies of Belarus.